You are probably feeling burned out from overwork, stress, and constantly depleting energy. Then you need an outlet to de-stress and free up your tense muscles. Exercise seems too intense for you. You need something milder but still works. This is where yoga for beginners comes in.
Yoga is an increasing workout technique for women of all ages because it is a slow burn style and doesn’t need you to exert energy like the normal gym weightlifting exercises.
It is also common because it allows you to quietly meditate and find inner peace as your maneuver through poses that range from simple to advance.
This article is meant to highlight what yoga is and why yoga is good if you want to start a nice workout that isn’t too overwhelming. This article gives you all you need to know about yoga for beginners.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a popular exercise imported to the United States over a century ago. It involves the combining of meditation and breathing movements. It has been discovered that it has healing properties as it provides mental, physical, and spiritual support to us.
Practicing yoga helps bring your body to a balance by stretching out tight muscles and strengthening weakened ones. You find that your body becomes more flexible and free of aches. That is why people, especially women, go for it.
Yoga practices are fun and peaceful and need to be done in a quiet environment that would allow you to meditate and even out your breathing. If you didn’t know you need yoga in your life, wanting a place of quiet zen should encourage you.
And if you are not so sure about learning yoga for beginners, these benefits should help you make a choice.
Benefits of Yoga
Relieves stress
There is scientific evidence that proves that yoga manages stress and keeps your mental health in check. Stress is caused by one of the hormones in the body called cortisol and practicing yoga helps reduce the level of the hormone in the body.
It improves strength and balance
The slow movements and deep breathing practices warms up the body and increases blood flow. Also, you are using every single muscle in your body in intricate poses that give you flexibility over time.
Relieves pain
Yoga also helps relieve pain, especially back pains. The body is stretched causing low back pain to ease and also improving your mobility as you go on. It is recommended that people with chronic low back pain should try yoga as their first-line treatment.
Yoga helps you sleep better
With yoga, you can reduce your stress level. High-level stress causes lack of sleep and at worst insomnia. Doing yoga regularly can free up the tension in your body and help you sleep better. Even though yoga won’t be able to solve your problems, it would help you sleep better with a clearer and peaceful head.
Benefits heart health
Continuous yoga practice will help reduce body-wide inflammation, influencing a healthier heart. High blood pressure, overweight, and other factors contributing to heart problems can be fought using yoga.
Helps with weight loss
Yoga reduces the cortisol hormone in our body. This helps to counter our stress-eating or binge eating and gives us bursts of energy instead. This improves our weight loss and control. Yoga also helps with our general wellness and self-esteem, giving us the perfect reason to continue living a brighter life.
Yoga Tools
Before you start your yoga as a beginner, you need the right tools and yoga basics to get you prepared for your first class.
What to Wear
You have to choose comfortable, stretchy, and breathable pants or shorts and a close-fitting top that won’t disrupt your exercise session. The clothes you are wearing must provide you with a level of comfort that would not distract you when you change positions.
Easy cloth choices include leggings, strappy tank tops, shorts, sports bras, and wrap sweaters for a cover-up. You can look for what is most comfortable with you in these options and prepare for your first beginners class.
Choosing a Yoga Mat
The mat is the most important piece in the yoga practice. You must have a personal and close relationship with your mat because it is the one you are stretching on.
Longevity is important when choosing a mat. Therefore, go for a mat that has fine threads and is ecologically friendly, and also comes at a good price.
SEE: How to Live a Healthy Stress-Free Life
Yoga Poses for Beginners
Yoga for beginners starts with simple stretches and poses to get your body to ease up. There are different types of yoga poses that vary in intensity. We have gathered the easy ones for yoga beginners to help them transition easily into the practice.
1. Easy Pose – Sukhasana
This is used to relieve stress. It involves you sitting straight up and cross-legged on your yoga mat, your hands on your knees and palms up. The key point is to keep your spine as straight as you can and breathe deeply. It is good for meditation and also blood flow.
2. The Cat Cow Pose – Chakravakasana
This involves you standing on your mat on all fours. Your hands must be directly below your shoulders and your knees below your hip. Stand perfectly even on your hands and spread your fingers wide.
Your chin must rest on your chest and inhale deeply. You will feel the stretch between your neck and your tailbone. And then your lower back falls down calmly as you exhale. This pose helps with back pain and it’s good for stretching also.
3. Child’s Pose – Balasana
This is a default pose used to rest before continuing to another pose. The key point is to maintain breathing during the pose. The pose involves you stretching your lower back, hips and thighs, knees, and ankles gently. You also get to relax your spine shoulders and neck.
For this pose, you simply sit on your knees and hands, and then you lower your butt to your heels and bring your chest toward the floor over your knees. You follow up by placing your hands along your sides, palms down, and then carry on breathing and relaxing.
4. Downward-Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
This pose requires your body to be inverted in a V-shape. You place both hands on the mat with your palms down. Then you proceed to place your knees on the ground under your hips, making sure it is directly under it.
You then push your buttocks and hips up, keeping the top of your thighs back, and then you stretch your heels down toward the floor.
As you do this, make sure your breathing is even and your head is between your arms and in line with them. This pose is especially good for the nervous system and helps decompress tensions in the spine. It also helps sculpts the legs and tones your arms, increasing their flexibility.
5. Tree Pose – Vrksasana
This pose improves your balance and agility. You can start by standing straight up, and then bring your hands to a prayer position, and then you lift them over your head. You move ahead to raise your left leg and press your foot on the inner thigh of your right leg. Then you maintain balance on your right leg.
SEE: The Best Natural Deodorant to Use After Exercising
Dos and Don’ts of Yoga
If you want to start yoga for beginners, there are certain rules or must-know tips you must keep in mind. They are:
Dos
- You must familiarize yourself with the basics before your first try.
- Take your time in knowing the poses that are right for you.
- Learn the names of the poses, so you won’t feel lost in a group.
- Stretch before you start the yoga properly.
Don’ts
- Don’t wear socks or shoes, they are not necessary.
- Practice on an empty stomach or have a light snack an hour before you start.
- Hydrate before or after your class, not during.
- Don’t stop midway. Try to relax then continue when tired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can beginners do any yoga pose?
No, they can’t. Beinners are new at flexing their muscles, therefore, they cannot do all yoga poses. For complicated yoga poses, it is best to gradually ease yourself into them.
When you are accustomed to yoga and its flexibility, you can try advanced yoga poses.
Can you do yoga anytime?
Yes, you can. You can practice yoga any time anywhere as long as it is convinet for you. Yoga is not time specific. However, you will find people practising yoga in the morning.
Can you practice yoga on your own as a beginner?
Yes, you can. You can practice yoga on your own, with a yogi in a class, or with friends or family. However, you will need a guide or a set of yoga poses with direction to make your poses.
Summary
Yoga is a good body flexibility exercise that uses meditation, deep breathing, and intricate poses to build your muscles and bones. It also relaxes your body and reduces stress, while increasing blood flow. You can start the practice without too much preparation. All you need is determination.
If you want to start yoga for beginners, you have to learn all the different types of poses and work on them with an instructor or on your own.
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